Yes. Since becoming flush with infidel aid money, things have gone swimmingly well for the Feudal, 7th century kingdom of <i>Fear and Loathing</i>, previously known as Aceh.


Some real headway has been made, with new and exciting achievements from Muslims every day. Things like: human rights
!

Quote:The Sunday Times December 17, 2006
Tsunami survivors given the lash


MICHAEL SHERIDAN AND DEWI LOVEARD, BANDA ACEH


Disaster donations help Islamic vigilante force impose punishments on women


WHEN people around the world sent millions of pounds to help the stricken Indonesian province of Aceh after the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004, few could have imagined that their money would end up subsidising the lashing of women in public.


But militant Islamists have since imposed sharia law in Aceh and have cornered Indonesian government funds to organise a moral vigilante force that harasses women and stages frequent displays of humiliation and state-sanctioned violence.


International aid workers and Indonesian women’s organisations are now expressing dismay that the flow of foreign cash for reconstruction has allowed the government to spend scarce money on a new bureaucracy and religious police to enforce puritan laws, such as the compulsory wearing of headscarves.


Some say there are more “sharia police” than regular police on the local government payroll and that many of them are aggressive young men.


“Who are these sharia police?” demanded Nurjannah Ismail, a lecturer at Aceh’s Ar-Raniri University. “They are men who, most of the time, are trying to send the message that their position is higher than women.”


In one town, Lhokseumawe, the authorities are even planning to impose a curfew on women — a move that social workers warn will force tsunami widows to quit night-time jobs as food sellers or waitresses and could drive them into prostitution.


None of that daunts the enthusiasts for sharia, who gather in droves whenever there is an opportunity to glory in its enforcement.


The scene is always the same, and it has been enacted at least 140 times in squares and market places in front of mosques, from the towering minarets of Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, to humble village places of worship.


The transgressor can be a man accused of gambling or drinking alcohol. But if it is a woman guilty of wearing “improper” clothing or being caught in proximity to a man, there is a particular ritual to the punishment.


She is dressed in white robes and veiled. Policemen escort her up on to a stage erected before a jeering crowd, which, witnesses say, is usually almost exclusively male.


Forced to kneel, the woman waits while a masked man ascends the platform. He is carrying a cane with a curved handle designed to give the inflictor of God’s punishment a better grip. From the loudspeakers, a man’s voice sonorously recites the appropriate religious chastisement. Then he begins to count. With each number, the cane descends with a vicious lash.


According to witnesses, male onlookers often roar in delight and hurl pious imprecations at the victims, working themselves up to a pitch of excitement.


In one collective punishment last summer, four women denounced for gambling were given between six and 10 lashes. One passed out as she was dragged off the stage.

Established 1981


London School of Islamics


An Educational Trust


63 Margery Park Road London E7 9LD


Email: info@londonschoolofislamics.org.uk


www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk


Tel/Fax: 0208 555 2733 / 07817 112


Criticism and Praise for Muslim Schools


Muslim schools offer a more conducive environment for learning because Islam teaches respect and stress learning whereas in state schools, there is a high level of disrespect. There is no evidence that Muslim schools foster separatism and hatred and indoctrinate children with values that endanger shared society.


There is a positive co-relation between faith, culture and language. Faith needs culture and languages to flourish. According to a research, children who study the language and culture of their parents may achieve more and become more involved citizens. Migrant Muslims speak variety of languages. State schools as well as Muslim schools give lip service to the community languages but majority of Muslim schools completely ignore or discourage community languages. The chairman of the Association of Muslim Schools Mr.Idrees Mears, a native revert totally rejects the teaching of Urdu and other languages. The same opinion was expressed by the head of state funded Islamia School as well as by the Chairman of the Nida Trust. They are not in a position to understand the needs and demands of the bilingual children because they are themselves monolinguals. It is a well known fact that social and emotional education comes with ones own language, literature and poetry. Pakistani children suffer more than other children. They speak different languages at home and when they go to the Masajid they are exposed to Urdu and Arabic. At schools they are exposed to English and at the age of 11 are exposed to European languages. Now European languages are introduced at Primary level, but Urdu is totally ignored and discouraged by the state as well as by the Muslim schools. English, Arabic and Urdu must be introduced at nursery level so that the children can grow up with three languages. We have already lost three generation and the fourth one is in the process of losing its linguistic and cultural identity by not learning Urdu. The Muslim community is suffering because of social and cultural problems of high rate of divorce, run away young girls, low academic achievements, drug addiction, drinking, teenage pregnancies, disrespect for their parents and elders, forced marriages and honour killings. It is all because our youth are cut off from their cultural roots and languages. I blame state schools because they have never been serious in the teaching of Urdu, Arabic and other community languages.


An American research reveals in 2005 that bilingual learners with no education in their first language take longer to learn English and a bilingual learner with a good education in their own language do best of all. Muslim schools are committing the same mistake by ignoring community languages. Even DFES and OFSTEAD are not serious about the importance of bilingualism and bilingual education. Their priority is the teaching of English language. No body is denying the importance of English as an economic language but equally important is the first languages of the children for social and emotional literacy.


I have been campaigning for Muslim schools since early 70s because there is no place for foreign cultures, languages and faiths in state schools. Muslim children are victim of racial abuse and discrimination. Neither Muslim community nor the DFE paid any attention to my proposal. Muslim community kept on setting up Masajid for worshiping and for the education of their children. Masajid help Muslim children to recite the Holy Quran without understanding and teach them how to perform their prayers. DFE introduced Multicultural education for the integration and assimilation of the Muslims.


I regard Muslim schools not just Faith schools but more or less bilingual schools. I set up the first Muslim school in Forest Gate London in 1981. Special attention was given to Standard English, Arabic and Urdu languages along with National Curriculum. But due to its closure, it could not become a model school for others to follow. Islamia School, founded by Yusuf Islam became the model school where there is no place for the teaching of Urdu and other community languages and only Arabic is taught.


The sound knowledge of ones owns language would appear to help – not hinder the acquisition of a second language and bilingual children may even have cognitive advantages and that the ability to speak more than one language is going to be increasingly important for the world of the future. Therefore, Muslim children and young Muslims have potentially a major educational advantage, although sadly this is not being developed well at present. British policy makers now recognise bilingualism as an educational asset rather than a problem. Education plays a central role in the transmission of languages from one generation to the next. The teaching of mother tongues is essential in terms of culture and identity. Arabic is a religious language for the Muslims but for Pakistanis, Urdu is also essential for culture and identity. Blind Muslim children in Bradford are learning to read Arabic and Urdu Braille, by a blind teacher who traveled from Pakistan. Now blind Muslim children are not going to miss out on culture, religion, language and the social aspects and integration into their own community and identity.


Majority of Muslim children are from Pakistan. They need to learn Arabic and Urdu to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry. Bilingualism and bilingual education should be part and parcel of each and every Muslim school. The problem is that most of Muslim schools are running by British educated Muslims who are made monolinguals by state schools. They do not feel the charm of bilingualism. They have never been given the chance to learn Arabic and Urdu along with English. An English man is proud of his language, culture and faith or no faith. In the same way a Muslim should be proud of his faith, languages and cultures. In my opinion at least three hours a day must be given for the teaching of English, Arabic, Urdu and other community languages from nursery level. The teaching of Standard English will help them to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity.


Iftikhar Ahmad

Irony is such sweet nectar. Call the number. 1-800-VICTIM!


One has to wonder if the jihadi’s in suits, (the various convicted criminals at CAIR), spend way too much time thinking of ways to make themselves look truly stupid.


Isn’t it ironic that the jihadi’s in suits are on the look out for discrimination against muslims when it is muslims who are exploiting the many benefits of Western democracy while on their way to a city that is closed to the dirty infidel.


Muslim pilgrims urged to complain

Quote:American Muslims making a religious pilgrimage to Mecca are being encouraged to file civil rights complaints if they feel discriminated against by airlines.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), citing what it called the "airport profiling" of six imams removed from a recent flight, yesterday said Muslims traveling this month to the holy site in Saudi Arabia need to be aware of their rights.


"Given the increase in the number of complaints CAIR has received alleging airport profiling of American Muslims, we believe it is important that all those taking part in this year's hajj be aware of their legal and civil rights," said Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR spokesman.


The group has established a toll-free hot line (800/784-7526) for victims of "flying while Muslim," as Muslims have begun departing for the weeklong hajj, a once-in-a-lifetime obligation to visit the holy city of Mecca, which this year begins Dec. 29.


But M. Zuhdi Jasser, a Phoenix physician and chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD), said the announcement by CAIR "continues the tired stoking of the flames of victimization."


"They are unfortunately exploiting, for purely political reasons, what should be a sacred and purely spiritual story of our faith's annual holy pilgrimage to Mecca," Dr. Jasser said.


"We need new leadership and organizations which use their passions and the bandwidth of the media to lead the ideological fight against radical and political Islam rather than this tired pre-emption of supposed discrimination."

Bismillah:


------------


By Geneive Abdo and Dalia Mogahed


13 December 2006


The Wall Street Journal Europe, 12


(Copyright © 2006, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)


Religion and modernity are butting heads again, or so it seems -- this time in Egypt. The country's cultural minister, Farouk Hosni, touched off a fiery, mostly male-dominated debate last month when he commented to a local newspaper that the increasing numbers of women in his country wearing headscarves marked a "regressive" trend in society and a turn away from modernity. But do millions of Muslim women agree that embracing Islam, expressed by wearing the hijab, is in conflict with modernity? In fact, Muslim women paint a much more complex picture of their lives and desires than others paint for them. In their minds, the choice is not one between Islamic law and modernity; the two are not mutually exclusive.


Consider the recent findings of a Gallup Poll of 22 predominantly Muslim countries, including Egypt, over the last 16 months. The survey represents the views of more than 90% of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims. Majorities of women in these countries say they think women should have the same rights as men. At the same time, they also say that Shariah, the sacred law of Islam, should be a source of the nation's laws. For many Westerners who associate Shariah with the lack of women's rights, this might appear to be a stark contradiction. But that is not quite correct.


Shariah literally means "the road to water," and represents the moral compass of a Muslim's personal and public life. Historically, the principles of Shariah could be used to limit the power of the sultan; after all, he would never claim he was above God's law. Therefore, when Muslims call for Shariah and gender equality, both are calls for the rule of law and an end to inequality. In many countries, Muslims are calling for the application of Shariah because even when the constitution states that Shariah is the primary basis of law, in practice, this is not enforced by officially secular governments.


Among the women surveyed in our poll, Egyptian women are most likely to believe Shariah should be the primary source of legislation: 62% say it should be the only source of law, and 28% say it should be a source, but not the only source. In nearly every country surveyed, aside from officially secular Turkey, a majority of women say Islamic law should either be the primary source of legislation or a source.


For decades, the role of women in Islamic societies has provided one of the primary battlegrounds in the cultural war between East and West. As a result, Muslim women have been placed in two artificial and mutually exclusive categories: modern and secular or religious and traditional -- even backward. The assumption is that, although the numbers of women choosing to veil in Egypt and elsewhere are growing, this trend is a result of either ignorance or women surrendering to pressure from their husbands or fathers.


In contrast to the popular wisdom that women are content even if they believe they are second-class citizens, Gallup's survey found that women in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed believe they should have equal legal rights as men, from voting rights to employment opportunities and access to the highest posts in government. Some 83% of Iranian women, for example, say women should be able to hold leadership positions in the cabinet and national council. Still, when the same Iranian women were asked the Shariah question, 66% said Islamic law should be a source, and 14% said the sole source, of legislation.


Majorities of Muslim women also say that religion is an important part of their daily lives. When asked to associate descriptions with the Islamic world, the most often chosen statement among men and women was "attachment to their spiritual and moral values is crucial to progress." When asked an open-ended question about what they admire most about their own societies the most frequent response was "people's attachment to the teachings of Islam."


These findings muddy the oversimplified debate that posits religion against modernity, and they reflect a trend in Islamic societies that is gaining momentum: While Muslim women favor gender equality, they do not favor wholesale adoption of Western cultural values. Instead, they want to pick and choose which aspects of the West and the East will form the basis of their lives.


This trend is evident among the rich and famous Egyptian movie stars who have opted for a veiled life off the screen. Egypt's stars are powerful cultural icons, and it was their recent testimonials of embracing Islam and leaving behind their lives in the fast lane that were a factor in Farouk Hosni's remarks. As more and more prominent women in Egypt have announced publicly their desire to wear headscarves, the public debate in the country has become more heated.


As Muslim women try to reconcile religion with modernity, a few clerics are helping them along the way. Amr Khaled, arguably the most popular television preacher in the Arab world, has become the guardian for Muslim youth and educated women who are embracing Islam. With the business suits (not clerical robes) he wears for sermons and a London address, Amr Khaled has found a third way between secular liberalism and radical Islam. Through his teaching, he has attracted millions of followers much like Enas, a fashion-conscious member of the Egypt's affluent class. After listening to Amr Khaled, she was "awakened spiritually" and then began wearing the hijab. "Our image of Islam used to be that it was only for poor people, old fashioned people who wore white galabyias [long traditional tunics] and had scruffy beards, not the chic upper class," says Enas. "By listening to Amr, I realized how much my life was missing without a focus on God."


The young Egyptian, who has a doctorate in pharmacy, is now pursuing a degree in Shariah studies. "Because our laws are not based on Shariah today, injustice and corruption are rampant. I wanted to study Shariah," she says, "to teach the young people so the next generation would be better than the current one -- so our country would progress."


SOURCE: AMRKHALED.net


Salam


Wael.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...7579389947


To most the producer must be Un-Patriotic... <_<

Bismillah


President Bush will soon seek about <b>$100 billion in additional emergency funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan</b>, according to a House report Wednesday.


<b>Story Highlights
</b>

Quote:• NEW: Report says Pres. Bush wants $100 billion more for Iraq, Afghanistan
• Congress already had appropriated about $379 billion for the war in Iraq


• Congress approved $70 billion for wars in the current fiscal year


• Report accuses Republicans of causing long-term damage with overspending

Explanation of Surah al-Ikhlaas - The Chapter of Purity


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


by


Shaykh-ul-Islam Taqi ad-Deen Ibn Taymiyyah


Born 1263 C. E. / 661 A. H., Died 1328 C. E. / 728 A. H.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah (i.e. the Sunnis) do not deviate from those things which have been brought by the Messengers, for that is the Straight Path, the path of those whom God has bestowed His favour upon from among the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous. It is in this collection of what has been described about Almighty God by Himself in Surah al-Ikhlaas (literally: "The Chapter of Purity") that makes it equal to one third of the Qur'an. In this surah, Almighty God has said:


"Say! He is God, the One!


The Eternally Besought of all!


He does not beget, nor is He begotten.


And there is nothing comparable to Him."


1. Whatever the Messenger of God, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, brought with him, that alone is real. It is obligatory to obey it and forbidden to deviate from it as this alone is the Straight Path which has no curves.


2. The Straight Path is only one and whoever deviates from it he strays onto the wrong path, innovation and injustice. Almighty God commands (in the Qur'an):


"And this is My Straight Path, so follow it and do not follow the other paths lest they divert you from His way.


3. The Straight Path is that path of the Ummah (community of Muslim believers) which lies in between the two extremes. Hence, the supplication in every rak'ah (i.e. unit) of the prayer: "Guide us to the Straight Path", that He should help, assist, guide, support and lead us in those things which will help us to obey Him and keep us steadfast on His Path. This is the Path of those who were favoured by God: the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous, and these are the best for keeping company.


4. The Concept of Tawheed has been explained in Surah al-Ikhlaas by separating and purging it from Shirk (associating others with Almighty God, polytheism and idolatry).


5. Imam Ahmad's narration of 'Ubayy bin Ka'ab that the mushrikoon (i.e. pagan idolaters) asked: "Oh Muhammed! Tell us the geneology of Your Lordl", whereupon God revealed this surah.


6. From authentic hadiths, it is proven that this surah is equal to one third of the of the Qur'an. The substance of the statement of Ibn 'Abbaas (a Companion of the Prophet) is as follows: that the Qur'an consists of three fundamental objectives:


a) Those commands and prohibitions which contain the laws and practical ways. These form the subject matter of the science of Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Ethics.


B) The tales and narratives which include the stories of the Prophets and Messengers of God and their communities. The punishments and disasters which befell those who resisted and denied the Messengers of God. Also, the promises, rewards, warnings and dooms.


c) The knowledge of Tawheed (the Unity of God) and the description of those matters which relate to the Names of Almighty God and His Attributes, which to have faith in is obligatory upon the servant of God (i.e. each Muslim). This has precedence over the first three.


7. Surah al-Ikhlaas contains the third objective and a general description of it. Thus, it is correct to say that this surah is equal to one third of the Qur'an.


8. The answer to the question that how does this surah contain comprehensively the knowledge of Tawheed and its principles which form the essence of the belief in Almighty God. God's command "He is God, the One" negates partnership with Him in every sense, whether it concerns His Self, Attributes or His Deeds. It also demonstrates the distinctiveness of God in His perfection, magnificence and majesty. The word Ahad is not used in affirmation for anyone besides God, since Ahad is more emphatic than Wahid.


9. The Tafseer (commentary, exegis) of Ibn 'Abbaas for the verse "God! al-Samad (i.e. the Eternally Besought of all).": The Chief who is best in His Nobility. The Great one who is best in His greatness. The Tolerant One who is best in His toleration. The Omnipotent who is the best in His omnipotence, the All Knowing who is best in His knowledge. The Self which is perfect in all types of nobility and greatness - that Self is only God - the Most Revered and the Most Powerful. He alone has these qualities for they do not apply to anyone save Him. No one is equal to Him and no one is like Him.


10. The Tafseer is also as follows: The Self who has no fear, around whom all creatures turn and Whom they seek after for all their needs and actions.


11. Affirmation in the Oneness negates all forms of polytheism and similitude. Affirmation of all the meanings of al-Samad includes all the noble Names and the most exalted Attributes. This is the Tawheed of Affirmation.


12. The Tawheed of Purity is in the statement: "He does not beget not nor is He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him". This statement can also be understood from the general statement: "Say! He is God! The One". Nothing came out of Him nor did He come out of anything. He has no equal, no likeness and no similarity.


13. Domination of of the concept of Tawheed in this surah. The afffirmation of Oneness for the Lord in total and absolute contradiction to all forms of Polytheism. His character of being "Eternally Besought of all", which proves all His Attributes, that He cannot suffer from any defect, negation of father and son which is an implication of Him being in no need and that all is in need of Him. All is characterised in the statement of His being besought and His Oneness. Negation of an equal which includes negation of similarity, resemblances and likeness. This surah includes all of these matters and is therefore rightly deserving of being called equal to a third of the Qur'an.


Explanation of Surah al-Ikhlaas - The Chapter of Purity

Assalamu alaikum,


I am a new shahadah Alhamdullilah and in the short time as a muslimah, I have noticed and experienced the blatant degree of prejudice and racism displayed with the Middle Easterns against other Muslims. I must admit this type of treatment enraged and caused me some stress. I also have been told of a comment made by a sister stating, "I am so glad to get away from those Arabs!" O Allah! This is certainly ridiculous! Please if anyone has any positive feedback in reference how to deal with situations like this, please by all means, insha'Allah send me your input.


Jazakallah khair,


Jahmia Scott

From what is likely the most Jew haten’est, totalitarian fear society on the planet – the same bellicose Islamic regime that brought us "wipe Israel off the map" and "the Holocaust is a myth", The Iranian Mullocracy is hosting an assembly of such illustrious racists and fellow Jew haters as David Duke of the KKK.


Apparently, the Iranian “Presidents” appetite for self humiliation and expressions of religious intolerance know no bounds
.

Quote:TEHRAN, Iran - hosted Holocaust deniers from around the world Monday at a conference examining whether the Nazi genocide took place, a meeting Israel's prime minister condemned as a "sick phenomenon."
The 67 participants from 30 countries included former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and Holocaust skeptics who have been prosecuted in Europe for questioning whether 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis or whether gas chambers were ever used.


"The number of victims at the Auschwitz concentration camp could be about 2,007," Australian Frederick Toben told the conference, according to a Farsi translation of his remarks. "The railroad to the camp did not have enough capacity to transfer large numbers of Jews," said Toben, who was jailed in 1999 in Germany for casting doubt on the Holocaust.


The two-day conference was initiated by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in an apparent attempt to burnish his status as a tough opponent of Israel. The hard-line president has described the Holocaust as a "myth" and called for Israel to be wiped off the map. Earlier this year, his government backed an exhibition of anti-Israel cartoons in a show of defiance after Danish cartoons caricaturing Islam's Prophet Muhammad were published in Europe, raising an outcry among Muslims.

Quote:TEHRAN (AFP) - Iranian students have disrupted a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a prestigious Tehran university, setting fire to his picture and shouting "death to the dictator."
Ahmadinejad was giving a speech to students at the Amir Kabir University, the scene of a protest the day before by hundreds of students to denounce a crackdown on a reformist-led university association.


...


Ahmadinejad, an ultra-conservative who won a shock election victory in 2005, responded by describing those students chanting the slogans as an "oppressive" minority.


"A small number of people who claim there is oppression are creating oppression and do not let the majority hear (my) words," he said.


According to the student news agency ISNA, Ahmadinejad responded to the students' chants of "students can die but they do not accept degradation" by lashing out at the United States.


"Today, the worst type of dictatorship in the world is the American dictatorship which has been clothed in human rights," he said.


"Our students are free and they fight and die but do not accept the foreigners' missions or bend to them," he added.


"It is my honour to burn for the sake of the nation's ideals and defend the system," Ahmadinejad was quoted as telling protesters who set fire his picture, ISNA said.


"Americans must know that even if Ahmadinejad's body is burnt a thousand times for this purpose, Ahmadinejad will not retreat even a centimetre from these ideals."


The Iranian president's speech was also interrupted by firecrackers, ISNA said.

The <i>holy warrior</i>™ kill fest aimed at Afghanistan’s teachers and their female students continues. There are even clearly defined rules for how and where these murders take place
.

Quote:KABUL, Afghanistan - The Taliban gunmen who murdered two teachers in eastern Afghanistan early Saturday were only following their rules: Teachers receive a warning, then a beating, and if they continue to teach must be killed.
The new list of 30 rules, decided on during a high Taliban meeting in September or October and since circulated over the Internet, span from the organizational — no jihad equipment may be used for personal means — to the health conscious — militants are not supposed to smoke.


They also contain a grave warning for aid workers and educators.


Rule No. 24 forbids anyone to work as a teacher "under the current puppet regime, because this strengthens the system of the infidels." One rule later, No. 25, says teachers who ignore Taliban warnings will be killed.


Taliban militants early Saturday broke into a house in the eastern province of Kunar, killing a family of five, including two sisters who were teachers.


The two sisters brought to 20 the number of teachers killed in Taliban attacks this year, said Education Ministry spokesman Zuhur Afghan. He said 198 schools have been burned down this year, up from about 150 last year.


The 30 Taliban rules also spell out opposition to development projects from aid organizations, including clinics, roads and schools.


"If a school fails a warning to close, it must be burned. But all religious books must be secured beforehand," rule No. 26 says.